Myrrh is mentioned in the Bible (Psalm 45:8; Song of Solomon 4:14) and is believed to have been a mixture of myrrh and the oleoresin labdanum. One of the three gifts the Magi brought to Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:11) was myrrh. Myrrh gum resin was also used as a stimulant tonic and is even used today as an antiseptic in mouthwashes as well as to treat sore gums and teeth.

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10.000 Years of History.

In prehistoric (neolithic) North Africa there lived, amongst many peoples, a tribe of nomadic goat-herders. Occasionally, these people noticed that their goats acquired a blackish, sticky substance on their fleeces and eventually they realised that if this substance were removed and burned, it provided a very fragrant smoke.

Per fumum

As a brief aside it is worth mentioning that the use of aromatic materials as incense is the origin of perfumery and of aromatherapy. The word perfume itself comes from the Latin words per fumum, meaning through smoke.

Ancient Egypt

If you examine pictures of pharoahs or of Osiris (the imagery is largely interchangeable) you will see that the arms are crossed over the chest, one hand bearing a crook (a legacy of the goat-herding days), the other hand bearing a flail (ladanesterion). The pharoah wears a false beard (even if female!) actually made from goat hair which was evidently stuck to the chin using labdanum.

Myrrh of Bible - Genesis 37:25 43:11

37:25 The [brothers] sat down and ate a meal. When they looked up, they saw an Arab caravan coming from Gilead. The camels were carrying gum, balsam, and resin, transporting them to Egypt. 43:11 Their father Israel said to them, 'If that's the way it must be, this is what you must do. Take some of the land's famous products in your baggage, a little balsam, a little honey, and some gum, resin, pistachio nuts and almonds.

Ancient Mesopotamia-Akkadian

Labdanum: n. Also ladanum. A resinous exudation of certain Old World plant's of the genus Cistus, yielding a fragrant essential oil used in flavoring's and perfume's. [Medieval Latin, from Latin l`~adanum, from Greek ladanon, l`~edanon, from l`~edon, shrub from which labdanum exude's from Semitic, akin to or possibly ultimately from Akkadian ladunu.]

Chypre

The word "Chypre" is French for Cyprus. Up to the 18 century the island of Cyprus the main region for the production labdanum from the plant Cistus Creticus. Her perfume Cyprus was identified with this labdanum. The next years her climate Cyprus became drier (less rains) and the production stopped. Today the laudanum from the plant cistus creticus is produced only in northern Crete.

Chypre Perfume

"Chypre" is the French for Cyprus. "Chypre" perfumes have existed since Roman times. It comes from when the Crusader's invaded in the 13th century and brought back a material called labdanum from the sticky buds of the Cistus bush."Chypre" was first used in perfumery by Francois Coty, who created an influential perfume of that name in 1917. Consisting of a bergamot top note, classic floral heart, and a rich mossy base note.

Aphrodite is the classical Greek goddess of love, sex, and beauty.

"Foam-arisen" Aphrodite was born of the sea foam, Cyprus.

Cistus Creticus

Cistus that sprouts in Cyprus and gives the labdanum with ancient traditional way.

HERODOTUS (484 BC– 425 BC) THALIA 112

"Ledanum, which the Arabs call ladanum, is procured in a yet stranger fashion. Found in a most inodorous place, it is the sweetest-scented of all substances. It is gathered from the beards of he-goats, where it is found sticking like gum, having come from the bushes on which they browse. It is used in many sorts of unguents, and is what the Arabs burn chiefly as incense.

Goats.

Goats and sheep in the hills get their fur sticky with labdanum. Formerly the shepherds collected this material from their animals and sold it to buyers at the sea-ports.

Ladanisterion (ergastiri)

The wood - tool

North Crete

To day the only place that labdanunum is produced from Cistus Creticus (Real), is north Crete (round the village Sises).

Roman.

There was at the time of the Roman Empire a perfume that bore the name of Chypre which was composed of labdanum, Turkish storax and calamus. The production of this perfume continued in Italy through the Middle Ages with a variety of natural aromatics used.

Richard the Lion Hearted - Eau de Chypre 11th century

Soon after Richard the 1st(Richard the Lion Hearted) took the title of the King of Cyprus in 1191, a Eau de Chypre perfume appeared in France which was said to consist of of extracts various gums, resins and spices in a rosewater base.

Crusader's - Chypre

Chypre is the French for Cyprus and comes from when the Crusader's invaded in the 13th century and brought back a material called labdanum from the sticky buds of the Cistus bush. It has a heavy, sweet, balsamic type of odour but when blended with other base notes like sandalwood, patchouli and oakmoss, made a very popular base.

Oyselets de chypre 17th century

In the island of Cyprus, of course, and many cenruries earlier. We know about chypre scents being made on the island as early as the 12thOyselets de Chypre (Chypre Birds) were formed from a paste of labdanum, styrax and calamus, mixed with tragacanth. The perfumes in those old days were burned as incense and the birds decorated and scented rooms. It wasn’t until the 14th century that oakmoss was added to these pastilles.

There are many different labdanum absolutes available.

Labdanum has a typically balsamic odour, rather flowery, herbaceous, amber-like and very tenacious. The absolute derived from labdanum from plant Cistus creticus, is the finest, the most amber like and the least coloured.

Labdanum Concrete - Absolute (Real)

from Cistus Creticus.

The First Time - Labdanum concrete – Labdanum absolute (Real)

The first step:Α solvent such as hexane or supercritical carbon dioxide is used to extract the oils. Extracts from hexane and other hydrophobic solvent are called concretes, which is a mixture of essential oil, waxes, resins, and other lipophilic (oil soluble) plant material.

The second step:Prep for all highly fragrant, concretes contain large quantities of non-fragrant waxes and resins. As such another solvent, often ethyl alcohol, which only dissolves the fragrant low-molecular weight compounds, is used to extract the fragrant oil from the concrete. The alcohol is removed by a second distillation, leaving behind the absolute.

François Coty

Chypre Coty (1917)

One of Coty's greatest success, Chypre (1917), gave its name to an entire fragrance family used in the industry's classifications.

Chypre Coty 1917

Even if Coty been born in Corsica in his perfume it gave the name of island Cyprus. The name Chypre has big history in the perfumery.

Classical Chypre Perfume - Mitsouko (1919)

Mitsouko is an 1919 perfume by Guerlain.

Bergamotto - Citrus bergamia

Bergamot peel is used in perfumery for its ability to combine with an array of scents to form a bouquet of aromas which complement each other.

Patchouli

Patchouli is also in widespread use in modern industry. It is a popular component in perfumes, including more than half of perfumes for men. Patchouli is also an important ingredient in East Asian incense. It is also used as a scent in products like paper towels, laundry detergents, and air fresheners. Two important components of the essential oil is patchoulol and norpatchoulenol.

Labdanum

Labdanum from Cistus Creticus

Oakmoss

Oakmoss, also known as Evernia prunastri, is a type of lichen used extensively in modern perfumery

Sub-families of chypre 1. Traditional Chypre.

Coty chypre the original Chypre fragrance

2. Floaral Chypre (Dior, Miss Dior)

More floral notes are added & often patchouli is added to the base along with the oakmoss. Miss Dior is a wonderful floral Chypre.

3. Fruity Chypre (Guerlain Mitsouko)

Heavy with a peach-like fruitiness. Fruity Chypres use dark & heavily sweet & fleshy fruits such as plum, peach & apricot – which highly complement the dark earthy base notes and the sparkling citrus top notes. Guerlain's Mitsouko was the ground breaking fragrance of this category. the first to combine chypre with the Peach acchord.

4. Chypre Leather (Chanel Cuir de Russie)

Characterized by the addition of Dry, smoky, leathery notes often considered dark and masculine. Tobacco, castoreum, cade and birch tar are the notes that lend a smoky, leathery feel to a perfume. Chanel's Cuir de Russie was one of the first to combine leather & Chypre notes.

5. Aldehydic Chypre (Gres Cabochard)

Groundbreaking in its day for combining chypre & aldehydes is Cabochard by Gres

6. Aromatic Chypre ( Guerlain Sous le Vent)

Also a modern take on chypres with a fresh feel. Guerlain's sous le Vent would fit this category perfectly

7. Green Chypre ( Chanel no. 19)

Also a modern Chypre sub category. The lightest of the chypres – usually with leafy-green notes or, at times herbaceous and coniferous notes. Chanel No. 19 was one of the first green chypres created.

Cistus Incanus / Creticus THE EUROPEAN PLANT OF THE YEAR 1999

Cistus Incanus is one of the richest Polyphenol sources available. Polyphenols generally have a broad use for our well-being. The best of these is the strongly anti-oxidative effect of these secondary plant materials. They neutralise free radicals and therefore support the body’s-own defense mechanisms. A well functioning immune system is the very best precaution against pathogens (cold and flu viruses and other bacteria and fungi) maintaining health and well being.